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Updated: May 27, 2025
He remembered the day when the little boy had stoned him away from the nest of O-pee-chee the Robin. Ever since that time he had never missed a chance of saying bad words at him. But the little boy didn't mind Mee-ko's scolding; he only laughed at him for his bad temper and spitefulness. "Mee-ko," said he, "what makes you cough so? Tell me. I think there must be a story about it."
It runs in your blood. The Mee-ko family have always been meddlers. It was the first of your tribe, as all the wood folk know, who, with his tattling; tongue, set Mal-sum the Wicked Wolf trying to kill Gloos-cap the Good. Your foreparents were thieves and murderers too; and you take after them. "The Master of Life has formed some of us so that we must kill to live and for us to kill is lawful.
Mee-ko saw and heard and he didn't wait to finish his remarks. He scurried along the branch, took a flying leap to the next tree, and disappeared. "Let him go. His room is better than his company," remarked Ko-ko-ka. "That's so," said little Luke, "I never did like him much anyway. But tell me, what did he mean about his forefathers?"
As soon as he reached out his hand for it again, Mee-ko began to scold more angrily than before. "Stop, let it alone, go away," he screamed. "That is queer," thought little Luke; "I wonder what is the matter with him. What can he care about the strange flower?" Just then Ah-mo the Honey Bee flew up toward little Luke and then back again to the flower.
It is not so with you. You were made to live on seeds and nuts, yet Kag-ax the Weasel, whom we all hate, is scarcely more bloodthirsty than you are. And you are a coward to boot. You haven't the courage to fight and you kill for pleasure and by stealth." Mee-ko started to talk back at Ko-ko-ka, but the big owl snapped his beak angrily and rustled his wings.
A-bal-ka never harmed any one, nor did he scold and steal like Mee-ko the Red Squirrel. Yet he had many foes. Ko-ko-ka the Owl, Ak-sip the Hawk, Kee-wuk the Fox, Kag-ax the Weasel, Ko-sa the Mink, and A-tos-sa the Snake were always ready to pounce upon him at sight and make a meal of him. Even Mee-ko was not to be trusted.
From the end of that he dropped down to the fence and scampered along the rails up toward the woods on the side of the mountain. He went all the faster because Father O-pee-chee flew down into the branches of the apple tree just as little Luke threw the stone. He saw Mee-ko and understood exactly what had happened. He flew a little way after the thieving squirrel.
"'But how shall we get the snake-skins? asked Grandfather Kit-chee, the head of the family. "'That is easy, answered the Master of Life. 'A-tos-sa, as you know, sheds his skin. If you look sharp, you can find the cast-off skins almost anywhere. Do as I have said, and you will be safe. Even Mee-ko the Squirrel and others of your enemies will be afraid of the snake-skin and let your nests alone.
Its petals were blue as the sky, except near the heart, where they were pink as a baby's fingers; and its heart was as yellow as gold. Little Luke reached out his hand to pick the strange flower. As soon as Mee-ko saw what he was doing, he fairly screamed. To little Luke it seemed as if he said, "Stop, stop, let it be. Leave it alone. Go away." Little Luke was used to Mee-ko's scolding.
"Well, suppose there is?" snapped Mee-ko. "I wouldn't tell you anyway. A Man Cub has no business to know the animal talk. I did my best to keep you from touching the Magic Speech Flower. I hate you! I hate you! I wish I were as big as my forefathers were, I'd drive you out of the woods!" "Come, now, Mee-ko," replied the boy, "don't be so spiteful. I haven't done you any harm.
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